The Current and Future CSR Landscape: A Questionnaire for NGOs

Background

Most NGOs share the view that business is not as transparent and accountable as it
could be. Too often, many NGOs argue, business is passing on the social and
environmental costs of its activities to others, including future generations. Most NGOs
would acknowledge, however, that business has an important role to play in society,
as a provider of jobs, technology and services.

A central question in all this is what are the best ways of encouraging better behaviour
by business. In particular, what is the right mix of regulatory and voluntary
instruments?

Over the last decade or so, a large number of initiatives have emerged whose
objective is to define or advance corporate social responsibility (CSR). There is no neat
way of describing them. Some of these have a governmental status (e.g. the OECD
MNE Guidelines), some have been driven by the business sector (e.g. Responsible
Care), and some have been created at the initiative of NGOs (e.g. the Forest
Stewardship Council). Some involve NGOs and are ‘multi-stakeholder’ in nature (e.g.
the Global Reporting Initiative, ISO) and some only involve the business sector.
Government engagement is usually limited or non-existent. Some focus on specific
sectors or themes (e.g. the Marine Stewardship Council, Social Accountability
International, the AA1000 series, Diamond Development Initiative), while others
address multiple sustainability issues (e.g. the Global Compact).

For some NGOs, the entry of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO)
into the field has brought matters to a head. What is the relevance and potential of
voluntary international standards in relation to environmental and social behaviour?
Who should be involved in developing these, and how? Who should they apply to? Is
there a ‘one size fits all’ approach? As the newest and largest player on the scene, is
ISO’s entry a blessing or a curse?

This questionnaire is designed to assist NGOs in understanding and sharing views on the
current status of the various global voluntary instruments 1 and initiatives to promote
more responsible business practice. At your earliest convenience but no later than
October 13th, 2006, please complete as much as you feel comfortable with and
return it to: Jason Morrison, Pacific Institute (jmorrison@pacinst.org). All responses
will be synthesized and shared among NGOs, but without attribution.

NAME: ___________________________________________________________
ORGANIZATIONAL AFFILLIATION: _____________________________________

1
For the purposes of this exercise, ‘global CSR instruments’ include any initiative or instrument
that is global in geographical scope or application, voluntary in nature, and intended to help
business sector organisations or others in understanding social or environmental issues, and
improving their performance.
Awareness of Current CSR Landscape

1. How would you assess your organisation’s awareness of the current range of
global CSR initiatives (Check one)?
Excellent
Good
Fair
Poor

NOTE: ‘Good’ might mean you know what the Global Compact’s 10 principles are;
‘Fair’ that it is a UN initiative that encourages business to be more responsible; ‘Poor’
that you haven’t heard of the Global Compact.

Participation

2. Is your organization currently active in developing or supporting voluntary CSR

instruments/initiatives? If so which? (e.g. Global Compact? GRI? ISO? FSC?)

3. If you have not been involved in any such initiatives, what are the main
reasons?
(Check all that apply)
Not invited
Don’t consider it a priority
No relevant experience or skills
Limited financial resources
Other _____________________________________

Policy

4. Does your organization have a policy on corporate accountability and/or the

role of CSR? If so, how could this be best summarized?

Views on current landscape

5. What CSR initiatives and instruments do you believe are currently effecting
behavioural change in the business sector? Why?

6. Do you agree or disagree with the following statements: 1 = strongly agree, 5 =

strongly disagree
No clear definition of landscape
Too many standards, codes and guidelines
No clear guidance on/ criteria for selection
Too much overlap
Too much incompatibility
Views on future landscape

7. Looking at environmental and social issues over the next decade, do you think
the role of business will (Check one):
Become less important
Remain unchanged
Become more important

Please explain your reasons.

8. Looking at environmental and social issues over the next decade, how do you
believe the role of government will evolve as regards the business sector?
(Check all that apply)
Greater use of regulatory instruments
Less use of regulatory instruments
Greater use of policy ‘carrots’ and voluntary approaches
Less use of policy ‘carrots’ and voluntary approaches
Greater engagement on human rights and environmental issues
Less engagement on human rights and environmental issues

And how do you think it SHOULD evolve?

9. Looking at environmental and social issues over the next decade, do you think
the role of voluntary CSR instruments and initiatives will (Check one):
Become less important
Remain unchanged
Become more important

Please explain your reasons, and/or which specific CSR instruments will be more or
less important